Awareness workshop held to ensure safe food in Madaripur Municipality
Mir Imran, Madaripur
Madaripur Municipality has organized an "Awareness Workshop on Safe Food" to ensure safe food, prevent food adulteration, and increase public awareness.
Madaripur Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Morjina Akhter was present as the chief guest at the workshop organized at the conference room of Madaripur Municipality on Monday at 11:30 am.
The program was presided over by Madaripur Municipality Administrator (Deputy Secretary) Md. Jasmine Akhter Banu. The main discussant of the workshop was Madaripur District Food Safety Officer Md. Rafiqul Islam.
The workshop discussed in detail various aspects of safe food production, processing, storage, transportation, marketing and ensuring safe food consumption at the consumer level. Participants were also made aware of the adverse effects on public health due to food adulteration, harmful chemicals, misuse of formalin and artificial colors, preparation and storage of food in unhygienic environments and sale of expired food.
The chief guest, Deputy Commissioner Morjina Akhter said, "Safe food is a fundamental human right. There is no alternative to safe food in building a healthy, functional and developed nation. To ensure food safety, government agencies, traders, producers, market management committees and general consumers must work together."
Municipal Administrator Md. Jasmine Akhter Banu said, "Ensuring safe food is not the sole responsibility of the government; it is the joint responsibility of traders, producers, sellers and consumers. Hygiene and safety standards must be strictly followed at every stage, from food production to reaching the consumer."
The main speaker, District Food Safety Officer Md. Rafiqul Islam, gave a detailed presentation on the Food Safety Act, Food Safety Regulations and what food traders should do. He emphasized on obtaining a license, maintaining a healthy environment, using quality raw materials and consumer awareness to ensure safe food.
Speakers at the workshop said that currently, food adulteration, harmful chemicals, food preparation in unsanitary environments, unsafe storage, and lack of quality control are posing major risks to public health. To prevent these, there is no alternative to effective implementation of safe food laws, regular market surveillance, operation of mobile courts, training of food traders, and increasing consumer awareness.
Officials from various government departments, representatives of the health department, representatives of food safety-related organizations, public representatives, businessmen, teachers, representatives of civil society, various media workers, and people from different classes and professions participated in the workshop.
The participants present at the event pledged to play a responsible role in ensuring safe food from their respective positions.
